The Best Fried Chicken Ever!

The Best Fried Chicken Ever!

I thought I knew Fried Chicken after all these years but yesterday I tried something different.I soaked the chicken in a mix of salt andwater and threw in some ice,let it soaked for about four or five hours then drained it ,didnt bother to dry it,put it in a mixture of salt,pepper and paprika,one coat only and then fried it in my large cast iron skillet outside.maybe the fact that I cooked it outside made it taste so good ,but I could not stop eating it!I cooked 12 pieces and this morning when I looked at the plate there was one and a half pieces left.Now thats good eating!

Once again this "soaking in saltwater'" phrase comes up in the context of great fried chicken---i gotta try this--would also like to know if those seasonings were in a flour mix and ask, if i want make gravy to go with this---how much oil should i put in the pan to cook and do i use all of that in the gravy?--what kind?--& could i get recipe reccomedation for classic pan gravy please please? and how hot should the oil be when i cook the chicken, do i turn it often or once???. I want get this southern fried chicken thing right,know too many of you folks to try and pass off any weak kneed yankee version as the real deal.

Once again this "soaking in saltwater'" phrase comes up in the context of great fried chicken---i gotta try this--would also like to know if those seasonings were in a flour mix and ask, if i want make gravy to go with this---how much oil should i put in the pan to cook and do i use all of that in the gravy?--what kind?--& could i get recipe reccomedation for classic pan gravy please please? and how hot should the oil be when i cook the chicken, do i turn it often or once???. I want get this southern fried chicken thing right,know too many of you folks to try and pass off any weak kneed yankee version as the real deal.

This is a repeat from another board, and others may have other approaches, but this is the basic recipe for a milk gravy, typical of what is served with fried chicken:

Heat about 5 tbs of the fat that the chicken cooked in, according to how many people you're feeding (keep all the little fry pieces in the pan).

Stir in an equal amount of all-purpose flour, and cook this roux very carefully, stirring constantly until the roux is a light brown (if it scorches, it must be thrown out, so you might want to reserve the rest of the grease until after you make the gravy, as a sort of emergency supply).

When the roux is the correct color, pour in sweet milk, stirring constantly, until the cooked gravy reaches the consistency of a light or medium cream sauce, according to personal preference.

Bring the gravy to a boil, stirring constantly.

Simmer the gravy for a few minutes, and correct the seasonings, making it slightly spicy with black pepper.

BTW, this gravy is the basis for what is also used for chicken-fried steak, biscuits and gravy (made with bulk sausage), sawmill gravy, and a host of other dishes, varying according to what grease has been been rendered or used.